Boston Sports Extra

The uniform numbers 56-60 for the Boston Red Sox feature the franchise’s greatest closer, and one of the more dominant postseason closers ever. It also celebrates a man who had a t-shirt made about him this past season. Find out who makes the cut for the numbers 56-60.

Number 56 – Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly gathered quite a following for himself this past season. On April 11, Joe Kelly hit Yankees Tyler Austin with a pitch and urged him to charge the mound. Kelly proceeded to win the fight and the hearts of many Bostonians. Shirts were made about it, titled “Joe Kelly Fight Club.”

Kelly was miscast as a starting pitcher when he first came to Boston, but he mostly did well after being moved to the bullpen. Throwing heat reaching 100 at times, Kelly’s two-pitch mix featuring the heater played up much better in the pen. After a mediocre run from the trade deadline in 2014 through 2015, Kelly had a miserable six start stint in the first half of 2016. Moved to the bullpen, he went 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA over 14 appearances the rest of the season.

Kelly was excellent in 2017, winning four games against just one loss. He had a 2.79 ERA and at one point pitched 23 straight games without allowing a run.

This past season had its ups and downs, but Kelly came through when it mattered most. He allowed only one run over a span of 24 games early in the season before hitting tough times. He finished the season with a 4.39 ERA, but with an ERA over 8.00 in June, July and September. Come playoff time, fighting Joe Kelly was back. He allowed just one earned run over 11.1 innings and pitched six shutout innings in the World Series. This gave him a 0.51 ERA in the postseason over three postseason trips with the Red Sox.

Honorable Mentions: Darren Bragg, Ramon Ramirez

Number 57 – Eduardo Rodriguez

Another member of the 2018 World Series Champions, Rodriguez will likely be back with the club in 2019, unlike Kelly. This past season was the first of Rodriguez’ career where he wore the number 57, but he still did enough to earn the nod. Over his first three seasons he wore number 52 and earned an honorable mention at the number.

2018 is all that gets factored in for the sake of this article, because it is only what he did while wearing this particular number. Rodriguez won 13 games for the Red Sox and only lost five. He had a nice 3.82 ERA and struck out 10.1 batters per nine innings pitched. On September 1st he struck out 12 White Sox in only 5.2 innings pitched in his return from a disabled list stint. Rodriguez didn’t pitch very well in the postseason, but he certainly helped the team in setting a franchise record for wins.

Honorable Mention: Ron Mahay

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Number 58 – Jonathan Papelbon

Papelbon was always so intimidating on the mound; the way he lowered his head to peer in at the signs, his eyes just looking out from under the brim of his cap with a look that said “I’m going to throw this ball through you.” He could back it up too. Over his first four seasons, Papelbon was probably the best closer in all of baseball.

After showing potential as a call-up in 2005, Papelbon served as the Red Sox closer in 2006 and never looked back. He posted one of the most dominant seasons you will find, pitching to a 0.92 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. Papelbon saved 35 games that season as a rookie.

In 2007 he struck out a career best 13 batters per nine innings. He had a 1.85 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and saved 37 games. In the postseason he was untouchable, pitching 10.2 shutout innings. Papelbon saved three games in the World Series and was on the mound for the final out.

Papelbon continued his dominant ways, saving 41 games the next year before lowering his ERA back under 2.00 in 2009. From 2006-09 he had a 1.74 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 10.6 K/9 and 151 saves. He wasn’t as dominant his last two years in Boston, but he did have a WHIP under 1.00 again in 2011.

Papelbon made four all-star teams with the Red Sox, and saved a franchise record 219 games. During the postseason he pitched 26 shutout innings before he was finally scored upon. He is the greatest Red Sox reliever for an entire body of work, and the only 58 worth mentioning.

Number 59 – Tommy Layne

Layne is not a name one might expect to find here, but crazy things happen in the higher numbers. He was a lefty specialist for the Red Sox over parts of three seasons, making the trip to and from Pawtucket a few times.

Layne first appeared on the team in 2014, posting a sterling 0.95 ERA over 30 relief appearances, totaling 19 innings. This would not be the norm, but that isn’t the norm for anyone. He did a solid job with the team over the next two seasons before they moved on. He put men on base, but at least never had an ERA of 4.00 or higher until he pitched for the Yankees in 2017. Over 95.1 innings in Boston, Layne had a 3.30 ERA.

Honorable Mention: Clayton Mortensen

Number 60 – Daniel Bard

But wait, Daniel Bard was number 51 you say? That’s correct, Bard did most of his work wearing the number 51 on his back and was chosen as the greatest Red Sox player to wear that number. So how come he is number 60 as well? His rookie season, Bard wore the number 60, and the competition is very light. Daniel Nava wore the number 60 for only one season as well, his rookie season, and Bard had a better rookie season than Nava did.

Bard pitched 49.1 innings that year, showing off his 100 mile per hour heater. He had a 3.65 ERA and struck out 63 batters at a career best 11.5 batters per nine innings. He was dominant in front of his home crowd, going 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA at Fenway Park. In the postseason that year he pitched three perfect innings, striking out four batters.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Nava (2010)

Featured picture from Boston.com

The higher the numbers get, the less they have been worn. As we enter the fifties, the amount of players to select from, and generally the quality of players lessens. That is not to say these guys did not have their value, but you might not find yourself remembering who wore these numbers.

Number 51 – Daniel Bard

After wearing number 60 as a rookie in 2009, Bard switched to the number 51. He had his best career season in 2010.

Daniel Bard threw easy heat; He didn’t look like he was exerting much effort, but the ball would fly out of his hand at 98-100 miles per hour. He also had a nice slider to go with it, giving him a devastating two-pitch combination out of the pen.

This repertoire was at its best in that 2010 season, as Bard posted a 1.93 ERA and 1.00 WHIP as the Red Sox top setup man to Jonathan Papelbon. Bard was dominating again the next season until September, when he collapsed along with the rest of the team. At the end of August, Bard had a 2.03 ERA with batters hitting .164 against him. That includes an opening day disaster that saw him allow four runs. Between his second game of the season and the end of August, Bard had a fantastic 1.47 ERA. However, September saw him allow more runs than he had allowed from April 5th through the end of August and his ERA finished at 3.33.

The Red Sox decided to try Bard in the rotation in 2012, which made zero sense. Bard had begun his minor league career as a starting pitcher and was a disaster, prompting the move to the bullpen. This time didn’t go any better. Bard had a 6.22 ERA and never recovered. He spent most of the next several years throwing pitches to the backstop and hitting batters in the minor leagues. However, he was still a dominant setup man for a couple seasons wearing number 51.

Honorable Mention: Reid Nichols

Number 52: Mike Boddicker

The Red Sox traded Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling to the Orioles for Boddicker at the trade deadline in 1988 to bolster their rotation for the stretch run. Although Schilling ought to make the Hall of Fame, he wasn’t a starting pitcher until 1992. Brady Anderson was also a fine player, but hadn’t done anything before 1992 as well. That is four years later, had the Red Sox not traded them then, they very well could have moved on later before they amounted to anything anyways.

Mike Boddicker did his job for the Red Sox. Over the rest of the 1988 season he was 7-3 with a 2.63 ERA. He gave the Red Sox three very good starting pitchers and they won the American League East.

Boddicker pitched two more seasons for the Sox, winning 32 games. In 1990, he had his best season since 1984, going 17-8 with a 3.36 ERA. He also won the Gold Glove Award that season. He made a team high 34 starts, throwing 228 innings. In two-plus seasons with the Red Sox, Boddicker finished 39-22 with a 3.49 ERA.

Honorable Mention: Eduardo Rodriguez

Number 53 – Rich Hill

Rich Hill is not someone you would expect to find on a list like this for the Red Sox. He was very successful, but in a limited amount of innings while with the franchise.

Hill wore the number 53 with the Red Sox between 2010 and 2012. During this time he had been transitioned into a relief pitcher after a couple ineffective seasons and a torn labrum. The Red Sox signed Hill at the end of June in 2010 and made him a September callup. He pitched four shutout innings.

The next season Hill was given an opportunity out of the bullpen in May. Using a new sidearm motion, Hill was dominating, throwing eight shutout innings and striking out 12 batters before hurting his arm again. This time he would need Tommy John Surgery.

Back with the club in 2012, Hill recovered quickly enough to pitch for the team before April was over. However, another injury sidetracked his season until September. When the season was over, he had gone 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA 19.2 innings.

In total wearing number 53 for the Red Sox, Rich Hill was dominant in limited innings due to injury. He finished 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA and over a strike out per inning during this time. When he dominated in September of 2015 for the Red Sox, he was wearing a different number.

Honorable Mentions: Tomo Ohka, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Bradford

Number 54 – Darnell McDonald

Darnell McDonald is another surprising addition to this lineup of players. McDonald had one pretty good season as a part-time player for the Red Sox, and that’s enough to make him the best number 54 in team history.

McDonald was a first round pick way back in 1997, but only had 147 career Major League at-bats when the Red Sox signed him for the 2010 season. He would more than double his career at-bats that season. Over 117 games and 319 at-bats, McDonald hit nine home runs and stole nine bases in ten tries. He had a respectable .270/.336/.429/.766 batting line.

McDonald made an immediate impact on that 2010 team. In his first at-bat with the Red Sox, he pinch-hit for Josh Reddick in the bottom of the 8th inning, trailing by two with a runner on base. McDonald hit a two-run homer off Darren Oliver to tie the game at six. The Red Sox would win it the next inning when Darnell McDonald drove home the winning run with a base hit to center field.

McDonald’s stint with the Red Sox wasn’t as successful after that season. He batted .236 with six home runs in 2011 and would be released during the 2012 season after a poor start. His 2010 season was more than any other number 54 had to offer though.

Honorable Mention: Morgan Burkhart

Number 55 – Joe Hesketh

Joe Hesketh was a left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox from 1990-94. He mostly started but also relieved some with the team. He had one good season, a couple alright ones and one poor one, which is enough to get him the spot at 55 without anyone else even putting up a fight.

Hesketh was signed by the Red Sox off waivers on July 31, 1990. By 1991, he was a key member of the pitching staff. That season, Hesketh made 39 appearances, 17 of which were starts. He finished 12-4 for an American League best .750 winning percentage. He entered the starting rotation around midseason and went 10-3 with an ERA of 3.00 in the second half of the 1991 season. Hesketh had a 3.29 ERA on the season.

The next season he was mostly a starter, finishing 8-9 with a 4.36 ERA. After a poor 1993 season that saw him pitch mostly out of the bullpen, Hesketh rebounded for 1994. In that strike-shortened season he was 8-5 with a 4.26 ERA over 20 starts and five relief appearances. In total he was 31-26 with a 4.04 ERA with the Boston Red Sox.

Featured picture from Sports Illustrated